


Persistence and Persuasion

by flailinginlove



Series: truth universally acknowledged [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Mentions of Heat Cycles, Mentions of knotting, Scents, Sex, mentions of misusing clones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-13 22:14:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14121963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flailinginlove/pseuds/flailinginlove
Summary: Five times Iruka tries to control his scent and one time he doesn't bother.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A quick refresher for people who don't want to reread Scent and Sensibility - Scents have two parts; alpha/omega pheromones and emotions. There are three levels of scent control. First, controlling the emotions that a scent gives off. They still smell like an alpha or omega, but their emotions are hidden. Next, concealing their alpha/omega nature so they smell like a beta. Third, wiping out scent completely, though this is something that generally only ANBU do.
> 
> This is basically done. I'm doing some final editing as I post, but all the chapters should be up in the next day or two. Apologies for the spam if you are subscribed to me and end up getting half a dozen notifications in the next 48 hours. ^__^;;

_Ugh. Meditation_ , Iruka thought as he changed into well-worn sweats and tried to mentally prepare himself for the training he was about to do. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Kakashi change as well. The teasing way he stripped off his underwear made it more than clear he knew Iruka was watching. How Kakashi managed to make sliding into a pair of old sweatpants look lewd, Iruka would never know, though he suspected the lack of anything underneath helped. But that wasn't what he should be focusing on now. He had training to do. Training that would unfortunately involve far too much meditation.

Meditation was the class he taught to his students whenever they'd been little hellions all day and he just needed a moment of _not chaos_. It only took a few lessons before a gently said, "I wonder if we should do meditation this afternoon," became one of the most effective threats he had, getting his class to settle down almost immediately in the hopes that they could avoid it with sudden model behavior.

It wasn't something he ever did voluntarily. He just wasn't the type to enjoy sitting still for too long. And yet here he was, pulling up a square of floor to sit across from Kakashi for guided meditation practice. 

Iruka knew this was how all alphas started out when they were learning how to control their scents. He'd read the theory behind it, though the books focused only on alphas. Omegas weren't mentioned since it was assumed they were either on suppressants or didn't need to hide their nature. But if alphas could control their scents, omegas had to be able to do so as well. The process had to be the same, or close enough that it shouldn't matter. Tsunade had agreed with his theory when he'd floated it by her. He'd just never been off suppressants long enough to put in the time and effort required to master it himself. If he wanted to do this right, he needed to start with the basics, but that didn't make the prospect of hours of focusing his mind inward any more appealing.

"Envision your chakra pathways," Kakashi said, voice low and calming. "Feel the flow of your chakra, how it moves through your body."

Iruka closed his eyes and let Kakashi's voice guide him. They started by focusing first on the sensation of chakra filling their bodies before slowly working towards a more minute sense of awareness. More than once Iruka had to remind himself to actually do what Kakashi was saying, not to just get lost in the way Kakashi's voice seemed to stroke down his spine. It was hard to keep his mind clear when an image of Kakashi popped into his head whenever his concentration wavered even the slightest, always coming back to Kakashi's muscled arms bare in his tank top and the loose sweats that would be oh so easy to slide off him.

He pushed the image out of his head and held back a sigh. Even his students could do better than this. _Focus_ , he thought to himself, ignoring the minor buzz of arousal that tried to distract him. Yes, there were many other things he'd rather be doing with Kakashi, but they could all wait until after this training session was over.

"Mold a small amount of chakra," Kakashi said. "Follow it as it travels along your pathways. Take note of where it comes into contact with your organs and glands as it moves through your chest and into your head. Pay close attention to the way it interacts with your senses."

This part was familiar. Most shinobi tried using chakra to enhance their senses at some point during their training. Not many excelled at it, but Iruka had decent enough chakra control that he was better at it than most.

"You'll feel the chakra move through your sensory systems then reach your main scent gland. Use it to take control of your scent." As he spoke, Kakashi's scent went neutral, his emotions hidden, clearly following his own advice. 

The books had all been vague about this part, making Iruka assume it was something that could only be learned through trial and error, that maybe the exact process for each ninja who did it was slightly different. Kakashi was just as unclear about the details of how he was supposed to _take control_ as the books had been. 

Not wanting to ask for more explanation if he didn't have to, Iruka focused on the flowing chakra inside himself. He could feel exactly where it interacted with his endocrine system. That part was simple enough, but he knew the next part wouldn't be quite as easy or everyone would be able to do it. There wouldn't be such a call for undercover operatives who could maintain scent control for long periods of time if this were E-rank ninjutsu.

_Okay, take control_ , Iruka thought. Chakra-enhanced hearing and smell needed an extra burst of chakra in the area in order to work properly. Once enough chakra was built up, it could be used to manipulate the senses. It seemed like a reasonable place to start. He pushed more chakra towards his main scent gland.

Kakashi shifted. The soft sounds of his movements were nearly inaudible, easy to ignore. Iruka focused on the flow of chakra in his body.

The burst of chakra hadn't done anything. It was almost as if the extra chakra had been absorbed into the gland, swirling away to nothingness before he could use it. Iruka frowned. He'd read that scent control often burned through a fair amount of chakra, at least until the pathways were trained properly. Maybe he just needed to use more. With that in mind, he tried again, pushing even more chakra at the gland. 

Once more Kakashi shifted, but Iruka continued to ignore him.

His frown deepened. That hadn't seemed right either. He gathered still more, planning on giving it one more shot before admitting defeat and asking for more detailed instructions.

" _Iruka_..." Kakashi said, voice strained, almost pleading.

Confused, Iruka cracked an eye open to look at him. Kakashi's hands gripped his own knees, knuckles white, like he was holding himself back. The lightest sheen of sweat was forming on his brow. 

Iruka blinked at him in surprise, not understanding what was wrong. He took a breath, preparing to ask if he was okay, but stopped before he could say a word. His scent was heavy in the air, hanging around them in a cloud. He hadn't been concealing it, he'd been amplifying it. The little thread of arousal that he'd been feeling ever since he'd watched Kakashi change was now magnified, making it embarrassingly clear where his mind had been wandering. No wonder Kakashi was having a hard time controlling himself. If he hadn't just concealed the emotions in his scent, lust would probably be rolling off him in nearly tangible waves in reaction.

Seeing Kakashi's control so close to breaking was more than enough to put a few ideas into Iruka's head. Grinning, he took the chakra he'd gathered and tried to replicate the action. It seemed to be successful, if Kakashi's near growl was any indication. He wasn't surprised to find himself flat on his back half a second later.

"This was _such_ a bad idea," Kakashi groaned out between heated kisses, dropping his control, and Iruka breathed in the intoxicating scent of his desire.

Iruka couldn't say he agreed, not with the way Kakashi was pinning him to the floor, pushing their sweatpants down just enough to get a hand around both their cocks. There really wasn't a downside to knowing how to increase his scent as far as he could tell, not if this was the result. He pushed more chakra through his system, reveling at the way it made Kakashi's strokes harder, faster, more heated; enjoying the bite of Kakashi's teeth against his neck. Kakashi was always enthusiastic in bed, but he rarely got quite this desperate when Iruka wasn't in heat.

_No_ , Iruka thought, _no downside at all_. He pulled Kakashi into another searing kiss and let the quick, rough strokes drive all thoughts of training out of his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Kakashi eyed Iruka warily as he sat down across from him; an enemy on a battlefield, not his mate on their living room floor. They were about to start round two of Iruka's training.

He'd done some meditating himself over the last two days, analyzing exactly how he controlled his scent, breaking it down step by step. He'd learned how to do it so long ago, he didn't give it much thought anymore. It had become second nature to him years ago.

Last time, he'd been unprepared, he hadn't explained things properly, and then he'd made it worse by not being able to control himself. This time, he'd thought carefully about how he could explain the process. As much as he loved Iruka's scent, he didn't want to be the reason Iruka couldn't learn how to do this. 

"Imagine your chakra forming a hand and wrapping tightly around the gland, sealing it off from the rest of the system," he said after they'd gone through the initial parts of the meditation exercise. 

Iruka's eyes were pressed shut, his brow creased in concentration.

For the briefest moment, Iruka's scent started to increase again and Kakashi bit back a groan. They were never going to get any work done if he couldn't control himself. But then something seemed to click into place for Iruka, and instead of too much of his scent, there was suddenly none of it at all.

Kakashi blinked, inhaling deeply. He could still smell Iruka's scent in the room, lingering traces that would be there even if he weren't, but nothing from the man himself. 

Iruka wasn't controlling the emotions in his scent or hiding his nature, he'd just cut off his scent completely, like ANBU did.

Iruka's eyes opened. "I think I did it."

Kakashi shook his head almost frantically, unable to say anything.

Iruka took a deep breath. He blinked, immediately his control slipped and his scent returned. 

"Oh, that was weird," he said, inhaling again like he couldn't believe what he had just done.

Kakashi nodded in agreement. He hadn't like that at all. Even the underlying scent that identified Iruka as _mate_ had been gone. Just for a brief moment, but long enough Kakashi knew it would haunt his dreams. That part of Iruka's scent had lingered even when he was on suppressants, making Kakashi believe that they were too closely connected for it to ever be completely hidden from him. But he'd been wrong, it could be eliminated. Iruka no longer smelling like home unsettled him nearly as much as the larger implications of what he'd just done.

Alphas trained extensively to control their scents, and even then, many never got to the point where they could wipe it out completely. It took an entirely different level of time and effort to master than basic emotion control or nature concealment, and holding it for extended periods even more so. It was one of the harder parts of ANBU training for most. Iruka hadn't held the control for more than a few seconds, but if this were just the second time he'd tried... Kakashi shook his head. 

The fact that Iruka had managed it at all was setting him on edge. An omega who could also go completely scentless would be priceless in ANBU, they'd be the perfect assassin. Natures could be hidden, but no one could fake being an alpha or an omega. The manufactured pheromones that tried to mimic natural ones never smelled quite right, usually causing immediate suspicion. But no one would look at a real omega as a threat. They'd be allowed close to their targets because they were harmless, _weak_. After that, it'd be too late. They could eliminate their scent and vanish into the night.

"You look pale," Iruka said. "You feeling alright?"

Kakashi shook his head again, trying to rid himself of the mental image of Iruka in a mask. If Tsunade wanted to recruit him, Iruka wouldn't like it, but he would do it for the the village.

"You can never do that again. Not in public." There was worry in Kakashi's voice that he didn't bother hiding.

Iruka looked taken aback and then the implications seemed to hit him as well. "Oh. Right." He blinked in shock.

Iruka wasn't the type who could easily turn off his humanity. At the Academy it was a strength. It helped to keep his students human, not just turn them into weapons. In ANBU, it would be a weakness that would need to be stamped out. Kakashi knew all too well the dehumanizing power of living behind a porcelain mask for years, how he had pulled away from the few friends he'd had the longer he'd served in the division. He didn't want to know how something like that would change Iruka. 

"You're really freaked out by this, " Iruka said, concern becoming clear both in his scent and on his face.

Kakashi couldn't deny it. 

Iruka closed the distance between them, sliding into his lap and pulling him in for a kiss. It was deep and slow, full of all the care and love that Iruka possessed. All the more reason why he could never, should never be in ANBU.

"Whatever you're thinking about, don't. It won't happen."

Kakashi didn't want to argue, but it could. Even if ANBU didn't want him, the Intel division would have a dozen undercover missions they'd love someone like Iruka for. From his time in ANBU alone, he could recall multiple missions that would have benefited from infiltration by someone who would never be considered a threat. 

Iruka bit at Kakashi's lip and Kakashi blinked at him in surprise. 

"I'm trying to distract you with sex here, but your angst over unlikely scenarios is getting in the way." Iruka gave him a meaningful look.

Kakashi pushed away the thoughts that were plaguing him. "By all means, Sensei, distract away." He slid a hand into the back of Iruka's worn sweatpants and gave his ass a squeeze.

Iruka grinned at him. "That's better."

Kakashi couldn't deny that Iruka was the best distraction ever, though that presented a problem of its own. Two training sessions in and they'd only managed a rather pathetic amount of actual practice.

"I don't think I'm the right person to help you train," Kakashi muttered against Iruka's lips.

Iruka chuckled softly. "I wouldn't want anyone else." 

Kakashi knew he meant it in more ways than one.


	3. Chapter 3

The main problem, Iruka decided sometime after their second session, was that it had been ages since Kakashi had done what Iruka needed to learn, and even then, he hadn't done it often. Kakashi controlled the emotions in his scent or he eliminated it altogether. Suppressing his alpha pheromones was not a skill he needed. No Hokage would waste a ninja of Kakashi's caliber on long-term undercover missions where he had to pretend to be a beta.

Iruka didn't need to learn to control the emotions in his scent. He also didn't want to develop ANBU-level control and wipe out his scent completely. Even without Kakashi's worrying, he knew he wasn't cut out to be in ANBU. His ninja way lay elsewhere.

The books didn't help. They all focused too much on theory and not enough on the practical. He just needed someone who could help him with the part Kakashi wasn't used to doing. 

"So..." Iruka said over dinner, "about that time I said I wouldn't want anyone else to help me learn how to control my scent?"

"You want someone else to help you learn how to control your scent."

Iruka grinned at him sheepishly.

"I'll ask Yamato," Kakashi said. "He's done a lot more undercover missions than I have."

Iruka bumped their legs together under the table. "Thank you."

"Oh, no. Thank _you_. He hasn't been able to look you in the eye without blushing since you asked him to make that table for my birthday. This is going to be _fun_ to watch."

Iruka felt his face heat at the mention of it. "He was fine until you thanked him for it."

"What's wrong with letting him know I thoroughly enjoyed the solid craftsmanship of his work?" Kakashi's tone was picture-perfect innocence, but Iruka wasn't fooled. He just shook his head. If that had been all Kakashi had said, it might not have been so bad. Even if he'd just flat out said, "Thanks for making my new favorite sex toy." But in the process of thanking Yamato, Kakashi had managed to use more euphemisms for sex than anyone should ever use outside the bright orange covers of a book. Yamato had cracked somewhere between Kakashi waxing poetically about the beauty of good, _hard_ wood and complimenting him on how the legs seemed strong enough that a person could probably bang away _all night long_ and they'd still be able to take more. Iruka wasn't sure if Yamato would ever be able to make another table again, regardless the intended purpose.

He was almost surprised when Yamato agreed to help, but then again, he was the ever-dutiful and long-suffering kohai.

The sessions went better than expected, or at least they did after the initial awkwardness had passed. And that had been caused more by Kakashi watching them like they were a scene from Icha Icha than by any lingering weirdness over Iruka asking Yamato to make a giant sex prop for Kakashi's birthday. 

Yamato was a good teacher, but it was slow going. Iruka had to constantly remind himself that it was to be expected. Finding the right balance to keep his omega pheromones concealed, but still seem a natural beta was difficult. Keeping it up for any extended period of time was even harder. It required wielding his chakra with more precision than he'd ever used before. He could do it when he was sitting still and concentrating, but doing it at any other time was something else all together. It also drained away his chakra at a steady rate, making it tiring work. But if there was one thing Iruka drilled into his students during his lessons, it was that practice made perfect. He'd master this, no matter how long it took.

Unfortunately for Kakashi, practice also meant Iruka controlling his scent.

The rule of no controlling scents in the house was temporarily suspended while Iruka tried to get the hang of holding onto his control for extended periods of time, and Kakashi's mood worked as a good gauge. A hint of a frown meant he wasn't completely keeping it controlled, a full on pout meant he was acing it, and Kakashi got progressively more sullen the longer Iruka was able to hold it and the better he was able to keep it suppressed. 

Kakashi might not like it, but he did try to be supportive. That didn't mean he was above trying to convince Iruka to take the occasional _break_ though.

"Drop your scent control," Kakashi said, nose nuzzling behind one of Iruka's ears. His hands roamed freely over his body, sliding inside clothing to tease then slipping back out just as quickly. "Just for a minute."

Iruka chuckled, they'd played this game before. It was rarely ever _just for a minute_ when he did let Kakashi convince him to drop his control. 

"You never seemed as bothered by it when I was still on suppressants."

Kakashi muttered something against his neck that Iruka couldn't quite make out. He turned to face him. "What?"

"I said you control your scent better than the suppressants ever did. After we bonded, even when you were on them, there were always traces of your emotions if they were strong enough."

"And now there isn't?"

Kakashi made a face in answer. "Even the _mate_ part of your scent is muted, softer."

Iruka gave him a quick kiss in apology. "Just a few more months and we can go back to the no scent-control in the house rule."

"I'm just glad you never learned how to do this before," Kakashi said, hands going back to their roving. He didn't have to say anything more than that. Given how big of idiots they'd been about the whole things, if Iruka had, they might never have figured out they were meant to be together.

Iruka shook his head, smiling as he dropped his control and let his scent return to normal. _Just for a minute_. Or maybe an hour or two. He'd been reaching his limit as it was and Kakashi's hands were promising interesting things.

He liked dropping his control when he could see Kakashi's face, the way his eyes would shut almost involuntarily in pleasure as he took a deep breath. Iruka knew exactly what it felt like. Kakashi still controlled the emotions in his scent any time they weren't at home and the moments when they crossed the threshold together and Kakashi let his control go were some of Iruka's favorites. It was like Kakashi didn't need to hide himself around Iruka, like inside the walls of their home was the only place he could fully let his guard down.

More times than not, Iruka dropping his control led to Kakashi leaning in towards him, pressing his nose against Iruka neck. It frequently escalated from there and this time was no different. Another thing that Iruka wasn't going to complain about.


	4. Chapter 4

Iruka sighed as he stared up at clouds moving lazily across the bright blue sky. He was pretty sure he'd now seen the sky above Konoha from the ground of every single one of its practice fields. More than once.

Training with Kakashi wasn't becoming any easier the more he did it. Kakashi didn't go all out, but he didn't hold himself back as much anymore either. Iruka guessed that was a compliment of sorts, or proof that he was improving, but it was hard to remember that when his head was still spinning from where he'd just been thrown to the ground. 

Every time Iruka improved, Kakashi made things harder for him. He continually upped his game, making sure Iruka never got off too easily. As a teacher, Iruka could recognize and appreciate the strategy. He did it with his students all the time. Kakashi using his full strength against Iruka in a training match wouldn't help him improve. It'd land him in the dirt even quicker than he already got there. Fighting at just a few levels above Iruka set a challenge that was theoretically obtainable, something Iruka could work towards, steps that gradually led to improvement instead of a sheer cliff with no handholds to even assist in the climb. 

He knew that as a teacher and he reminded himself of it repeatedly, but he wasn't the teacher here. And on the other end of things, the strategy was frustration incarnate. There was never any moment against Kakashi where he felt like he was truly improving. Not stairs or a sheer cliff, but a mountain that grew taller with every step taken.

He had to measure his skills against other people to see the true benefits. Friends he used to train with on an even playing field suddenly weren't as challenging as before. They gave him crap, asking if this was what sleeping with a jounin did to your skill level. Iruka pointed out that they had started training together before they were together in other ways, but that just led to jokes about jounin confusing fighting with foreplay. Iruka couldn't exactly refute them, not with the number of times he and Kakashi ended up having sex after their sessions.

Whenever they trained together, Iruka ended up bruised, sore, and exhausted, but Kakashi more than made up for any injuries he received. First was the post-training shower, hands working shampoo through each other's hair and soap over each other's bodies. Then the post-shower massage, both in low-slung towels or nothing at all, on their bed because it was pointless to pretend this wasn't going there anyway. Then the post-massage sex, careful to avoid any injuries that had been caused. 

It was a whole ritual now and Iruka had to grudgingly admit that he did enjoy Kakashi's treatment of his ass throughout the entire thing, even when he was landing on it after a failed attack. He wouldn't admit it to Kakashi, but then again, he didn't have to. Kakashi knew.

Kakashi's head peeked into view, looking down at him. He offered a hand to help him to his feet. Iruka took it and stood to face him again. 

"One more time?" Kakashi asked and Iruka nodded. As much fun as their post-training ritual could be, that wasn't the reason they were here now. Iruka needed to learn how to control his scent while he was fighting. He readjusted the flow of his chakra, made sure his control was holding, then jumped back to give himself more space to work.

Iruka sent a wave of fire rolling towards Kakashi. For a moment it flickered, like a candle in a strong wind. Iruka held his breath, watching it as much as Kakashi. It became steadier as it moved, the strength of the fire overcoming the imperfect way he'd released the chakra needed for it. Kakashi dodged it easily, but Iruka was already moving, fleeing into the branches of the nearest trees. 

He glanced around, looking for something he could use against Kakashi. His team had trained on this field often when he was a genin, so he knew it well. There was a small lake not far away that might work nicely, he just needed to get there first. He could feel Kakashi following, but he might have time. 

This part of the training was as important as the meditation, if not more. Just because he'd learned how to control his scent while he was in his own apartment didn't mean he could do it under the strain of battle. Keeping up the constant, precise flow of controlling chakra while doing other jutsu was ridiculously complicated. It made it abundantly clear why so few shinobi's were able to do it. Every single one of them had probably had the exact same problems Iruka was having now, and the only way to fix it was through practice. But knowing that didn't make it any less ego-bruising to get his ass kicked even more thorough than usual. It was something he was just going to have to put up with until he figured out the finer points of control. 

Focusing too much on the scent control made him slower to react than usual, it made using jutsu difficult or nearly impossible. More than once he messed up the jutsu he was trying to use. Even using traps and seals required extra care. Messing up a jutsu during training hurt his pride, doing it in a real fight could be deadly. But focusing too much on the fight or the jutsu was the quickest way to lose control of his scent, and Kakashi knew it. He pushed Iruka until he had no choice but to focus on the fight and his control started to slip. Kakashi swore he had absolutely no ulterior motive to making Iruka lose his control. He'd be a whole lot more convincing if his eye didn't hold quite so many dirty promises for later, after they got back home.

Carefully Iruka collected his chakra and made a clone as he ran. He gave a small internal cheer as the clone grinned at him, nodding once before breaking away to the right. This was the first time he'd been able to make a perfect clone while controlling his scent _and_ using chakra to run through the trees. But he didn't have time to celebrate, Kakashi was getting closer.

A dozen more bounds brought him to the clearing around the lake. Without hesitating, Iruka left the protection of the trees, running across the surface of the water, Kakashi just a few steps behind him.

Suddenly, there was a splash, the chaotic sound of a body inelegantly plunging underwater. Cold droplets hit the back of Iruka's legs and head as he slowed and turned, trying to hold back a grin.

A pop under the water was all the warning he had before the memories hit him; his clones lying in wait, its hand grabbing onto Kakashi's ankle and dragging him down, only to be dispelled by a rather vicious twist of its arm.

Iruka tensed, waiting for Kakashi's counter move. He stared down into the lake, it was too murky to see far. He prepared himself to jump away the moment he saw movement in the deep. It didn't come. Not from below, at least.

Kakashi appeared as fast as lightning, strong hands pressing forcefully downward on Iruka's shoulders from behind. He wasn't even using taijutsu, just pushing. Simple, but effective. Iruka made a strangled sound as he realized he didn't have time to readjust the chakra in his feet to compensate for the extra weight. He hung there for one painfully long moment, knowing exactly what was about to happen and that there was nothing he could do to stop it, then unceremoniously crashed below the surface.

Still, he grinned as water rushed over his head. It may not have been a graceful descent, but at least he'd caught Kakashi's vest on his way down. They both sputtered as their heads breached the surface.

Kakashi gave him a sodden look, his usually gravity-defying hair plastered to his head. They both pulled themselves up until they were standing on the surface again, water running off them back into the lake. 

"Massage time?" Iruka asked, trying rather unsuccessfully to ring some of the water out of his uniform. 

Kakashi just shook his head, chuckling. "After that, I think _you_ owe _me_ a massage."

Iruka grinned at him. He wouldn't mind, but he doubted Kakashi would actually demand one once they got home. 

They dripped their way home, sandals squelching with every step.

It'd been such a basic mistake. Iruka couldn't remember the last time he hadn't been able to control his chakra enough to walk on water. It was a good reminder of how far he still had to go to truly be able to control his scent. Kakashi swore that it would become automatic, it just took time and practice. Until then, he'd just have to deal with the bruises he got, whether to his body or his ego.

Like always, Kakashi did make up for it. Fingers digging into Iruka's muscles, starting out innocently enough at first, healing chakra tingling along Iruka's skin. But once he got through the worst of Iruka's aches and pains, the strokes became teasing, his fingers inching up the inside of Iruka's thighs until he was just starting to get to the interesting parts before backing off and doing it again. He always waited until Iruka had enough of the teasing and pushed himself up to kiss Kakashi, a reminder of the first time they'd kissed. Things always got significantly more interesting from there.

"I never asked why you are so good at this," Iruka said, humming in pleasure after they were freshly washed and in bed. The warm shower had been blissful after they'd peeled themselves out of their drenched uniforms. Kakashi was straddling his hips, weight pressing him down into their bed as his fingers dug into Iruka's back.

"Read it in a book." 

Iruka gave a quiet huff. "I didn't realize Icha Icha had educational value."

"Oh, if you only knew." He paused for a moment as he sent a burst of healing chakra through a pulled muscle in Iruka's lower back, causing him to give a quiet moan, then he continued. "But this I got from a different book."

"A non-Icha Icha book?"

"Yes, a non-Icha Icha book. I do read those occasionally."

"Don't let that get out. It'll ruin your carefully crafted reputation."

Kakashi chuckled, digging a thumb into a particularly stubborn knot in Iruka's shoulders. "Is this the part where I say now you know, I'll have to kill you?"

Iruka grinned into his pillow. "Finish releasing that muscle, and you can do whatever you want with me." Right as he said it, he could feel the little burst of healing chakra Kakashi released. Iruka groaned as the muscle finally relaxed.

"Oh, don't worry, Sensei. That is exactly what I was going to do." 

Kakashi shifted and Iruka could feel how hard he already was, not that he would have needed that to know. His scent had been all lust and want since they'd stepped into the shower together. Iruka pushed back against him, enjoying the quiet intake of breath the movement caused. He twisted around, pushing himself up to kiss Kakashi. Time to move on to the next part of their post-training ritual.


	5. Chapter 5

Even after all the downright filthy things Kakashi had whispered in Iruka's ear since they'd gotten together, he still managed to say things that could shock him.

With Kakashi pushing him down onto their bed, his hand rubbing Iruka's cock through his uniform pants, teeth grazing against his ear, Iruka shook his head, sure he'd just misheard. There was no way Kakashi had asked him to do what Iruka thought he had. "What?"

"Control your scent," Kakashi repeated in his ear, low and hot, exactly like he did when he was trying to make the entire Icha Icha series seem tame compared to the things he came up with. The content was significantly less racy this time.

Iruka hadn't been hearing things. That didn't mean it made any more sense. He pulled back to look at Kakashi. "Why?"

"It'll be good practice."

Iruka raised an eyebrow at him. "You of all people want me to control my scent _during sex_? Are you feeling okay?" He went to press the back of his hand against Kakashi's forehead to check his temperature, but Kakashi just caught it and laced their fingers together, pinning it down onto their bed. 

"If you can control your scent during sex, you'll be able to control it whenever you need to," Kakashi said, serious tone belied by the wicked look in his eyes and the want and anticipation in his scent.

"And do you possibly plan on making it your own personal mission to break my control?"

Kakashi didn't answer, just grinned at him wolfishly.

He was right though, Iruka had to admit. He still had a hard time controlling his scent whenever he was overly emotional. Anger, embarrassment, and arousal all caused his control to waver. He was getting better, his control didn't slip as often when they were training anymore, but he was still a long way from mastering it to the point he'd be able to do missions while pretending to be a beta.

"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" Iruka asked, but he was already closing his eyes and using his chakra to bring his scent under control. 

"Now, Sensei, have you ever once regretted one of my brilliant ideas?"

"You mean like the time you talked me into making clones too," Iruka said, opening his eyes to give Kakashi a rather unimpressed look.

"Tell me you didn't enjoy the multi-angle porn."

"Or when you wanted to act out that scene from chapter 3 in Icha Icha Tactics."

"You came so hard, you nearly passed out."

"That time in the supply closet in Hokage Tower."

Kakashi gave him a knowing look and Iruka glanced away, blushing.

"There's a first time for everything," he mumbled. 

Kakashi tugged him closer. "I'll just have to work extra hard to make sure you don't have any regrets then."

He was true to his word. After over a year together, Kakashi already knew exactly what to do to get Iruka worked up quickly, how to keep him on the edge until he was begging for release. Stretching him until Iruka was ready to curse him out if he didn't fuck him already, sliding in slow even as Iruka tried to urge him on faster, harder. Teasing him like crazy, setting a pace that was just a bit slower than Iruka needed to get off. Hitting his prostate with deadly accuracy right up until Iruka was about to come and then seeming to forget it existed altogether until Iruka cooled down. Then he'd do it again.

Iruka couldn't say he was regretting it, but if Kakashi didn't start fucking him harder, Kakashi might.

He took deep, shuddering breaths as he tried to control his scent, tried to keep the right balance even though he was shaky and sure his control was going to slip at any moment. 

Kakashi was surprisingly calm for how long they'd been going at it. He'd broken a sweat, but there was no desperation in his scent. Lust, sure, but none of the twisting _need_ that colored his emotions whenever they were together like this. Iruka took another deep breath, noticing how odd it was to have only alpha pheromones in the air and that was when it hit him. Without Iruka's scent, Kakashi had a lot more control over himself. He wasn't being driven on by Iruka's desire as well as his own.

Kakashi seemed to read the realization in Iruka's eyes, smirking down at him and giving a slow roll of his hips to accentuate the point. Iruka groaned. This was entirely unfair. 

"You could always give up," Kakashi said in a helpful, cheery tone.

"Fuck you," Iruka gritted out, holding on to his control with renewed determination. Just because he was at a disadvantage didn't mean he was going to give up.

"Next round," Kakashi said, voice low and rough, his scent shimmering with want.

Iruka's control slipped a fraction at the thought and he cursed, quickly getting it back under control. He pressed his eyes shut, trying to keep his focus on the flow of chakra in his body, but that just made him feel what Kakashi was doing to him that much more. 

Kakashi leaned in and spoke next to his ear. "Do you think you could control your scent while you're in me? You can barely hold it at just the thought. How long would your control last? Just stretching me? Or the first thrust?"

Iruka bit back a moan. There was no pretending that he didn't like fucking Kakashi.

"This is payback for increasing my scent to mess with you, isn't it?" Iruka said, glaring at Kakashi, but there was no heat behind it.

"Maybe just a little," Kakashi said, pulling back to grin down at him, wicked smile turning warm and fond. "But also, I've always wanted to do this. Draw this out for hours, take my time and savor every moment of it. Keep you on the edge for so long you'd do anything for release. It's impossible to do when all I can smell is how turned on you are, even the suppressants didn't block everything enough to let me do it, but like this..." The wicked grin was back. Iruka cursed again but that just made Kakashi's grin grow wider. "You just need to let go of your control."

Iruka gritted his teeth together. Like hell he was going to do that. 

He tried to tease back, but Kakashi was having none of it, trapping his hands so he couldn't touch either himself or Kakashi, pinning him down so he couldn't move his hips enough to meet Kakashi's maddeningly slow thrusts. Kakashi's cock dragged along his prostate as Iruka cursed him out. 

Desperate and with very few options left, Iruka took a page from Kakashi's book. He started talking. In vivid, graphic, embarrassingly frank detail.

He told Kakashi how good he felt, sliding into him, filling him up. He could never get enough of him. He confessed how he couldn't wait for his next heat, just the two of them locked inside for days with nothing to do but fuck each other until they are sated and spent. How he'd been wondering what would happen if he tried to increase his scent while he was in heat. How much he was looking forward to Kakashi knotting him again, feeling Kakashi swell inside him, connecting them. He asked if Kakashi would like to go shopping with him and buy a new toy together. Kakashi could pick out whatever he wanted to use on Iruka or watch Iruka use on himself, if he could manage to keep his hands to himself long enough. 

It all had Iruka blushing bright red, but he could see it working, feel how Kakashi wasn't quite as controlled in his movements, smell it in his scent, and taste the desperation on Kakashi's lips as he kissed Iruka hard, trying to silence him. But Iruka didn't let him get away with it. Instead he just panted out quick bits between kisses, knowing that Kakashi's mind would fill in the details even more than Iruka could with his words alone. _Clones_ and _during heat_ got a growl out of him. They hadn't done that before, and it made Iruka curious if both he and his clone would smell like they were in heat. How would Kakashi react to multiple Irukas in heat? Lust so strong it was just this side of rut shivered through Kakashi's scent, making his thoughts on the matter perfectly clear. 

Iruka might regret sharing that idea the next time he was in heat, but he doubted it. Besides, it was finally enough to get the rhythm he needed. He bit back moans as all his dirty talk dissolved into cries of pleasure.

He'd made it this far with only a few slips in his control, but when his orgasm hit, his control shattered. All the pent up pheromones seemed to come roaring back, twice as intense as they ever were. Kakashi's control broke with it.

He whined into Iruka's neck, inhaling deeply. Even through the haze of his orgasm, Iruka could feel Kakashi shaking as he tried to bring himself under control, his thrusts shuddering to a stop, like he didn't know he if should go on.

Iruka was exhausted from all the chakra he'd just used, drenched in sweat, and over-sensitized from how hard he'd just come. He wasn't sure if he could move even if he wanted to and Kakashi had to be able to feel that, smell the exhaustion in his scent. He was probably debating if he should pull out and take care of himself, but Iruka didn't want that. He wanted to feel Kakashi come apart inside of him. 

He forced his arms around Kakashi's shoulders. "Take what you need," he rasped out.

Kakashi didn't need to be told twice. He fucked Iruka hard and fast as Iruka hung on tight, overstimulated, but loving the feeling of Kakashi so desperate and uncontrolled. It didn't take long before Kakashi came, collapsing half on top of him, arms like a vice grip around him. He was shaking, breathing hard. Iruka knew he'd have Kakashi's fingerprints all over him for days and he loved that too.

They lay there like that, until they got their breath back, and Kakashi rolled more to the side, but he kept a tight hold on Iruka, clinging desperately still, like he'd never let go. It was then that he started to speak, repaying all of Iruka's dirty confessions with one of his own. 

"I used to think about what this would be like. Before, when I still thought you were a beta and wanted nothing to do with alphas. When I was too worried about you being disgusted with me and it destroying our friendship to do anything more than fantasize. I felt guilty about it every single time, but whether I'd try to think of someone else or no one at all, my mind always came back to you."

Iruka squeezed Kakashi's hand, wanting him to go on.

"I don't know how many times I imagined it. Some miracle would happen and you'd let me into your bed, even just for one night. I'd worship every inch of you. Go slow and savor every minute of it, show you exactly how much I wanted you, make it so good you'd never want anyone else. Like if I made you feel good enough, come hard enough, you wouldn't care that I was an alpha, you'd let me stay."

Iruka pressed their foreheads together, breathing in the contentment and happiness in Kakashi's scent. He couldn't imagine ever wanting Kakashi to leave.

"This is probably the closest thing I'll ever get to that." He kissed Iruka slowly, until they were both breathless again.

"So how much of this was actual training and how much was acting out a longtime fantasy?" Iruka teased when they finally broke the kiss.

"I can multitask," Kakashi said.

Iruka snorted, he couldn't argue with that. "And how did reality compare to the fantasy?"

Kakashi pressed his nose against Iruka's neck. "Not going to say I regret it, but once was enough."

Iruka laughed softly, in complete agreement. They could stick to clones and desks and cramped supply closets and whatever else Kakashi's perverted little mind came up with. Scent control was best left for the training field.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the one time he doesn't.

Being able to take any mission he wanted to again felt liberating to Iruka. He didn't have to worry about how his scent might affect the mission, and he didn't have to figure out how many pills to bring with him or trying to take them while his teammates weren't watching. As far as anyone besides his teammates were concerned, he was just another beta from Konoha. 

Most of the time. 

His control still slipped occasionally when he was fighting, but he was getting better.

He knew Kakashi was less than thrilled with him picking up the odd field mission again, especially when no matter how much he whined, Tsunade rarely let him join Iruka's missions. 

"The last time you two were on a mission together, you managed to make even one of my most punctual shinobi late," she had stated flatly.

Kakashi had tried to point out it had clearly been the blizzard's fault, not his, but fair or not, she wasn't having any of it.

Kakashi worried too much. Iruka's missions were rarely ever the type that involved combat. Most of them were C and B ranked, fairly close to the village. They usually didn't even keep him away for more than a night. None of which could be said for Kakashi's missions.

But for as safe as Iruka's missions usually were, things did happen from time to time. It was all part of being a ninja.

This time, his three man team had been attacked by two missing-nin as they were making their way back to Konoha. After training with Kakashi for so long, Iruka was more than happy to take on the stronger of the two and leave the other to his teammates. 

The alpha fighting him was strong, but nothing compared to Kakashi. Still, Iruka felt his control slip as he formed jutsu while they fought. Internally, he cursed. He'd thought he'd gotten better at this.

The alpha's eyes widened as Iruka's scent hit him and he smirked, like he thought Iruka had just become an easier opponent, like Iruka hadn't been keeping up with him for the last few minutes with no problem.

_Fuck control_ , Iruka thought, stopping the thread of chakra that controlled his scent. It would be so much more satisfying to take down this missing-nin as an omega.

Not having to keep up the extra thread of chakra helped him very quickly disabuse the alpha of the notion that he was suddenly weak just because he was an omega. All his practice sessions with Kakashi had benefits beside the post-practice massages and sex, though both of those were high on the list.

They defeated the two missing-nin with relative ease, Iruka only taking a shallow cut to his left arm that showed no signs of poison. It was superficial, but he already knew how it'd be received once he got home. He doubted he'd be able to keep Kakashi from seeing him shirtless until it healed completely, and even if for some miracle he managed that, there was no doubt that Kakashi would notice the new scar.

As it was, it didn't even take Kakashi seeing him shirtless for him to notice. The moment Iruka stepped in the door, Kakashi's eyes went to the white bandage of the field dressing. They hadn't been that far from the village, so Iruka hadn't bothered to sew up the wound properly, figuring it'd be better to do it at home. He'd hoped that Kakashi would be out for the day and wouldn't see the blood on his sleeve.

Of course he wasn't that lucky. 

Before he could even get out an "I'm home," Kakashi was pulling off his gear and asking how he was injured. Iruka just let him, knowing there was no point in fighting it. 

Kakashi muttered darkly as he unwound the field dressing. Iruka knew exactly what he was thinking. " _That's it. Off active duty for you._ "

Iruka just shook his head. "Now you know how I feel and your missions are much more dangerous than mine. And longer. So I've got lots of time to worry."

Kakashi frowned, steering him into their bathroom and pulling out their medical kit. "I always come home safely."

Iruka rolled his eyes. "Says the guy who has spent so many nights in the hospital, they have a room reserved just for him."

"I'm not there _that_ often," Kakashi said in protest.

"Only because you sneak out before you should," Iruka said, pausing to hiss as Kakashi disinfected the cut. "The last time you were in there, one of the nurses asked me if painting an Icha Icha mural in the room would increase the likelihood of you actually staying until they release you officially."

Kakashi paused with curved needle in hand just long enough to look at Iruka hopefully. "Please tell me you said yes."

"If I thought for one minute it would stop you from doing stupid things like jumping out windows when you're not even half-healed, I'd have one painted in our bedroom."

The glint in Kakashi's eye made Iruka snap his mouth shut. He should not have said that. 

For a few minutes they were quiet as Kakashi put in the three stitches needed to sew up the wound, adding a good dose of healing chakra to help it along. He tied off the last stitch and looked at Iruka.

"I'll be very, very good," Kakashi promised with the least convincing sincerity Iruka had ever heard.

"I think we have different definitions of good," Iruka said, eyeing him. 

Kakashi just grinned at him, rewrapping the wound then carefully pulling him close. "I'll show you good." 

Iruka just shook his head, but he knew Kakashi would. He always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were waiting for this, I'm sorry it took so long and I hope you liked it. I started it over a year ago, but other fics kept getting in the way of me finishing it. I still intend to write more in this verse. I have over 20k words written on a very VERY rough draft of the NaruSasu sequel to S&S. It ended up with Naruto as an alpha and Sasuke as the prickliest omega ever. It's set post-war and there is a decent amount of background KakaIru. It still needs a lot of work, but I'm hoping to finish it this year. And I still want to do a ShikaTema fic as well, though I only have a few paragraphs written so far, so we'll have to see how that goes.
> 
> Thank you for reading! ♥


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